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Ever wonder how to build an igloo? Well here is the cheater’s version, the Quincy Hut…

The Quincy Hut (or Quinzhee hut) is a great shelter option in shallow snow where digging a snow cave is impossible. Essentially all you need to do is make a massive pile of compacted snow and burrow into it.

Snow is actually a great insulating material for winter shelters. The inside temperature of a Quincy Hut shelter will stay somewhere around 32 degrees. That may sound cold, but when it is in the single digits or less outside, that is a HUGE difference. Personally, I would prefer a Quincy Hut over a tent in the winter back country.

Pile snow until it is about chest high, and a couple feet wider than your arm span.

Use skis or snow shoes to compact the snow.

Once the snow mound is large enough, it’s time to start burrowing in. You can insert twigs into the outside of the mound to ensure proper thickness of the walls. Aim for a 1-2ft minimum thickness.

Snow wrapped in a tarp makes a great door to seal out the cold.

May not look like it, but there is enough room to lay down in here. If possible, try to line the floor and walls with branches and vegetation to help insulate you from the cold surface of the snow.

Quincy Hut Notes:

*Remember to keep a shovel with you when you sleep. It is possible for a hard winter storm to snow you in while you sleep.

*Crack the door a little or poke ventilation holes through the walls to prevent suffocation. It is unlikely, but possible.

*After digging in, you will be soaked! I recommend having an extra set of dry clothes handy. Otherwise, you will have to build a fire to dry off.